Michelle Obama Gets Out the Vote in Philadelphia

The music plays and the crowd sings along. Loud whoops intertwine with the singing. Screams fill the arena as Michelle Obama makes her way to the stage. As usual, it takes her awhile to quiet the crowd. She stands in front of them, not simply as the First Lady of the United States, but as a supporter of Hillary Clinton for President.

“Almost one month to election day and it’s about time for my family to end our time at the white house. I have to tell you even though this is a bittersweet time for me, we are engaged in a time of great transition for my family, but for our entire country. Transitions like these can be difficult.” She told the audience that people may feel uncertain during this time of transition and wonder “how do we move forward?” Mrs. Obama believes that it’s very clear that we can trust Hillary Clinton with the job of being President.

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses A Standing Room Only Crowd Of Millennials At A Campaign Stop for Hillary Clinton at La Salle University

Mrs. Obama reminded the audience that since law school, Secretary Clinton has given her life to the service of others. “For those who question her stamina, She’s the only candidate who is tough. She gets back up when she gets knocked down. Hillary is one of the few people on this planet, who has seen the presidency from every angle and she still wants to do this job.” Mrs. Obama went on to say that Secretary Clinton had a better view of the presidency than anyone. From Mrs. Obama’s vantage point, Hillary has the “heart, guts consistency, experience, and exposure to the presidency. And yes, she happens to be a woman. Experience matters. Temperament matters. She is more than able to be an outstanding president for all of us.”

Students of La Salle University Show Their Support for Clinton & Kaine

Beyond her push for Secretary Clinton, she also pushed young people to go out and vote. Last week with Hillary Clinton at Temple University, Hillary for Pennsylvania officially launched the IWillVote.com tool, a one-stop online portal for Pennsylvanians who wish to register to vote or check their registration status. IWillVote.com builds off of the Pennsylvania Department of State’s online voter registration system and their free, nonpartisan open API offered to the public. Mrs. Obama urged voters, especially the college students in the audience, to use the necessary tools to get out and vote. “Young people under age of thirty provided the swing vote for four battleground states. In 2012, Obama won in Pennsylvania by 300,000 votes, the difference was only 17 votes per precinct. Each of you can swing an entire precinct by getting everyone out to vote.”

She stressed that it is not enough to get angry. “We must take action. Get yourself and everyone you know register to vote today. Make calls, knock on doors, get people to the polls….as you start working your heart outs.”

Finally, Mrs. Obama applauded both American’s decency and their sense of hope. “ We as Americans are fundamentally decent and we all truly want the same things. People still welcome us even when they don’t agree.” If a girl from the south side of Chicago and the son of a single mother can end up in the White House, anything is possible. “Let me tell you, don’t let anyone take away your hope. We can keep perfecting our union, Hillary Clinton will be that president and we need to do everything we can make it happen.”